Families allege ‘SIR stress’ behind two heart attack deaths in Bengal
Times of India | 2 January 2026
Kolkata/Bankura: Two deaths were reported in Bengal, with families of the deceased alleging that fears surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls triggered fatal heart attacks. The incidents occurred on New Year's Day, Thursday, in Swarupnagar of North 24 Parganas and in Bishnupur of Bankura.
In Swarupnagar, 60-year-old Sultan Sardar died of a heart attack four days after appearing for an SIR hearing, while in Bishnupur, 55-year-old Rahima Bibi passed away soon after receiving a notice to attend an SIR hearing. In both cases, the families claimed the deaths were caused by extreme anxiety over the SIR process.
Local sources said Sardar, a resident of Swarupda village under Swarupnagar police station, did not figure in the 2002 voters' list. "He received a notice to appear for an SIR hearing and attended it at the Swarupnagar block office on Dec 27. He was informed during the hearing that there were discrepancies in his documents. Since then, he was under severe mental stress," said Motiar Rehman, a cousin of Sardar.
Family members said Sultan fell ill soon after he returned from the hearing and continued to suffer from anxiety before succumbing to a heart attack on Thursday morning. His wife, Dilwara Bibi, said, "My husband was a migrant labourer in 2002 which was why his name was not in the voters' list, though the names of his parents were on it. After returning from the hearing, he kept worrying and saying, ‘At this age, where will I go leaving my children and family behind?'' she said.
Sultan's son Osman alleged his father died due to fear generated by the SIR exercise. "This SIR must be stopped immediately. Otherwise, none of us will survive. We too will die," he said.
A similar allegation emerged from Bishnupur, where Rahima Bibi, a resident of the Ledger Ghat area, died of a heart attack on Thursday morning. After her husband's death, she lived with her daughter and son-in-law. Her daughter, Fatema Bibi, said Rahima's name did not appear on the 2002 voters' list, and she was therefore unable to provide any information related to that year while filling in the SIR enumeration form.
"She was extremely anxious ever since she received the notice for the hearing. She had no documents to submit. She was supposed to appear for the hearing on Friday, but died of a heart attack on Thursday morning due to fear," Fatema alleged.
Bankura MP Arup Chakraborty said local panchayat members made repeated attempts to help Rahima arrange the necessary documents. "But she died of a heart attack even before appearing for the hearing. We will launch protests against such tragic deaths caused by unethical pressure from the Election Commission," he added.